Grateful Dead's 'Dark Star' Gets New Life

The Remix, Which Draws From 105 Live Performances and Clocks In at 110 Minutes, First Came Out on CD in 1994

By

Andy Battaglia

Updated July 31, 2014 11:03 p.m. ET

The Grateful Dead spent decades trying to unlock the many mysteries of "Dark Star," the band's best-known jam.

The lore around the famously elastic song—"Dark Star" could run anywhere from a few minutes to more than a half-hour—made it an anthem and enshrined its mystique. Decades after it was first played, Canadian composer John Oswald was inspired to make a composite of live performances of "Dark Star"...